Additional study resource

[wm33]

I am using Wheelock and D'Ooge for main Latin studies but I have found "Latin for Dummies" a useful book to dip into between Wheelock and D'Ooge sessions. For example, there are sections on the Roman Calendar, Roman Army, Roman Government, Roman Entertainment, Roman Family and Social Status, Latin in Law, Latin in Medicine etc. etc. which collect lots of varied and useful items together under these headings.

This book may be a bit irreverent for some people's taste but I enjoy the more light-hearted approach as a break from Wheelock and D'Ooge and would recommend it as a possible addition to the Latin student's library.

Anybody know of other books like this?

Happy reading,

wm33

[Timothy]

I am using Wheelock and D'Ooge for main Latin studies but I have found "Latin for Dummies" a useful book to dip into between Wheelock and D'Ooge sessions. For example, there are sections on the Roman Calendar, Roman Army, Roman Government, Roman Entertainment, Roman Family and Social Status, Latin in Law, Latin in Medicine etc. etc. which collect lots of varied and useful items together under these headings.

A suggestion: The preface to D'Ooge's Cicero (here on TextKit) orations has some very good information on Roman society. Same for Greenough's Cicero Selected Orations (on Perseus). Both can give a reasonable synopsis of the period. Leastwise an English version. But they also lead to suggested reading on Rome etc. that are also worth the effort. When I get bogged down in the language I use breaks to surf the net for all things Roman, Latin, and period history. I love the pictures of the Forum and the various reconstructions of anchient Rome.

This book may be a bit irreverent for some people's taste but I enjoy the more light-hearted approach as a break from Wheelock and D'Ooge and would recommend it as a possible addition to the Latin student's library.

Anybody know of other books like this?

I have "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Latin" which I put off reading until I finish D'Ooge. I really like the older texts and once I decided to really learn this I put the Guide on hold. That said, I don't think any less of it simply because it is more recent. The language is/was/has been/will be/will have been the same.

- Tim

[benissimus]

The Oxford Latin and Ecce Romani courses do this well, but they tend to avoid strict grammar talk, which is a detriment to independent learners and those in a school setting alike. I wish they would combine the two approaches, to give a detailed summary of Roman life as well as thorough explanation...

[Episcopus]

Hmm...I thought D'Ooge to be a really friendly, fluffy course. Leaping onto a cloud of knowledge was the transition to each lesson.

I would recommend the Cambridge Latin Anthology as a reader after the course like D'Ooge. It's slightly advanced in places, but has vocabulary on the opposite page and some notes, and a beefy 2500 vocabulary in the back. It's fair value too, at 250 pages, £7.